Garbage-furnace.



No. 644,966. v Patented Mar. 6, I960.

S. H. BROWN. GARBAGE FURNACE.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1897.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shoat m: uonms PETERS w. Pum'ouma, WASHINGTON. nv cv 2 Sheets-Shunt Z s. l H.

GARBAGE FURNACE.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1897.)

Ill/IA. ,,A

(No Model.)

SAMUEL I-I. BROWN, OF. WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TlVO-TIIIRDS TO MICHAEL MOBARRON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND WILLIAM V. MCGRATH, JR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GARBAGE-FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 644,966, dated March 6, 1900.

- Application filed August 23, I897. Serial No. S49E18. (No model.)

in) rtZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. BROWN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garbage-Furnaces; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of a furnace constructed in accordance with my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are views thereof in longitudinal section, taken, respectively, on lines on opposite sides of a wall at the transverse center of the furnace; and Figs. 4. and 5 are respectively cross-sections on the lines 00 a: and. y g of Fig. 2.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The object of my invention is to provide a furnace adapted especially for the consumption of garbage or other waste, whereby the matter to be disposed of, whether garbage, dead bodies of animals, night-soil, or other waste substances, may be consumed without deleterious effects from the sanitary standpoint or being otherwise objectionable and the consumption be rapidly and economically accomplished; and to these ends said invention consists in the furnace, substantially as hereinafter specified.

In the carrying of my invention into practice I employ a heat-producer or generator consisting, preferably, of duplicate or similar heatersA and A, comprising each a fireboX or combustion-chamber and an ash-pit. The wall B, separating the two heaters, has an airspace a, and like spaces are provided in the two outside and the rear walls of the generator. The air-spaces of the two outer and the partition wall are placed in communication with the firebox and ash-pit of each of the heaters A and A by openings a and a. Preferably a greater number of openings 0. is provided for the ash-pits than for the combus- 5o tion-chambers to aid the draft. The object of the provision of duplicate heaters A and A side by side is to enable the use of a generator at either side only should it be desired.

At the rear side of the heat-producer or generator is a chamber C for the reception and combustion of the matter to be disposed of, its top being composed. ,of suitable refractory material capable of withstanding a high degree of heat, through which are suitable open= 6o ings for the passage of material into the chamber. For'each opening there is a hopper D, and for closing the opening a door or cover of soapstone or other appropriate material is provided. The bottom a of the chamber C is a perforated one, being preferably in the form of a'grid or grate composed of slightly-separated parallel bars arranged transversely of the chamber in two sets, the outer ends of the bars of each set being suitably supported by the side walls of the chamber and the inner ends by a middle wall E, that extends longitudinally of the furnace in line with the partition-wall B and reaches vertically from the floor or base of the furnace to the combustion-chamber C, thus dividing the space below the latter in two.

Each of the spaces below the bottom 0 of chamber C is divided horizontally by a perforated horizontal partition F, so that below the combustion-chamber, on each side of the wall E, there is an intermediate chamber G, whose bottom is the partitionF, and a bottom chamber H, whose bottom is the floor or base of the furnace. the wall I of the generator from each of the combustion-chambers of the two heaters is provided of such size and is so arranged that products of combustion pass from the heaters both above and below the bottom 0, and thus 90 insure the complete envelopment of the ma terial in the chamber C by flame and products of combustion.

The bottom a of the chamber C does not reach entirely to the rear wall K of the fur- 5 nace, nor does the bottom F of the chamber G reach thereto, so that a passage L is thus provided at the rear end of the two chambers.

An opening 1' through I On one side of the wall E there is a horizontal passage M, that communicates with the stack or uptake N, so that products of combustion pass directly to the latter from the chambers C and G without passing horizontally through the chamber II on the same side of the wall E with the opening M. On the opposite side of said wall E there is no passage similar to the passage M, and hence the products of combustion from both chambers O and G on such side are obliged to traverse the chamber H on the same side to an opening or passage 0 through the wall E at its front end, which establishes communication between the two portions of the chamber H at such point. Passing through the passage 0, the products of combustion then traverse the second part of the chamber H and enter the stack, mingling at the passage M with the products of combustion passing directly to such passage from the two chambers G and G. Preferably the passage L on the same side of the wall E as the passage M is of larger capacity than the passage on the opposite side, and it is desirable that each of said passages L and L be capable of variation in size, to which end slats or bars P and P are removahly placed therein, suitable doors being provided in the furnacewalls for their removal and replacement.

To permit an immediate or direct draft from the chambers G and G to the stack, a flue or passage Q runs through the rear wall K into the stack at a point at or nearly in line with the bottom a, a gate or damper R being provided to enable the opening, closing, or regulation of the size of said passage. A direct draft from the chambers to tne stack is desirable in starting up the furnace and also when there is no moisture in the matter to be consumed.

In the bottom of the stack is a small furnace S,to which whatever passes into the stack through the passage M is directed by a deflector T. The supplemental heater at this point provides for a sufficiently-high temperature to insure the decomposition of any vapor which may pass from the chambers and precludes the possibility of anything noxious or deleterious escapi ng from the stack. The passage above the furnace S alongside the deflector is a constricted one, and at a point directly above it is a baffle-plate U, against which the products of combustion, decomposed vapors, &c. impinge and by which they are retarded in their passage through the stack. Beneath the baffle-plate U there are two coils V and V of pipe, each of which has one end communicating with the air outside of the stack and the other ends connected, respectively, by pipes W and W with a chamber X in the upper part of the heat-producer or generator. Air in the coils is heated and passes thence into the chamber X. From the latter it passes through a checker-work wall Y at the rear of the chamber into the chamber C.

The mode of operating my furnace is as follows: A fire, preferably of coal, is started in the heat-producer or generator, with the passage or flue Q open to produce a direct draft through the combustion-chamber to the stack in order to rapidly and economically raise the temperature in the furnace. When the temperature is sufficiently high in the combustion-chamber O to effect combustion, a charge is placed in said chamber and the passage Q closed, so that the draft will be downward through the passages L and L and thence directly into the stack on one side of the wall E and on the other side of the latter, forward across, and then back through the bottom chamber and finally into the stack. A fire is at this stage started in the furnace S in the stack. By reason of the perforated bottom F water draining from the matter in the chamber 0 will not remain in but will pass from the intermediate chamber G, and hence the reduction in temperature, due to the presence of a large body of water immediately below the chamber 0, is avoided, and a high temperature can be maintained without difficulty, both above the charge and below it, so that its combustion will promptly commence. The combustion is accelerated by the reverberatory action of the furnace produced by the downdraft through the passages L and L. As the temperature rises the size of the passage L, lea ding directly to the passage M in the stack, is gradually reduced by the introduction of slabs or bars P and P alongside the chamber-bottom F, so as to cause more and more of the heated products of combustion, &c., to first traverse the bottom chamber before entering the stack. The passage of the hi ghly-heated products of combustion through the bottom chamber, which contains the liquid drained from the matter in the chamber C, results in vaporizing such liquid and partially effecting the decomposition of the vapors produced, the decomposition of all being effected when the current from the chamber commingles with the current at an extremely high temperature passing directly from the chambers O and G to the stack. Thus the treatment effects the complete combustion of the solid matter, the

volatilization of the liquids, and the decomposition of the vapors, so that the escape of noxious or deleterious vapors is impossible.

If there be an extraordinary quantity of liquid in the matter to be consumed, it is desirable to continue the stack-furnace S in operation; but ordinarily the fire may be discontinued in such furnace after the burning is well under way.

As highly-heated air passes from the chamber over the heat-producer into the combustion-chamber, being drawn into the latter by the draft, there is a thorough commingling thereof, and the flames and products of combustion in the combustion-chamber, resulting in the production of an oxidizing condition favorable to the complete and rapid consump tion of animal and vegetable matter.

cr tes a The ash resulting from the operation of the furnace is valuable as a fertilizer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A furnace comprising a combustionchamber, a chamber below and in communication with the combustion-chamber, a wall dividing the lower chamber, a stack, passages that lead, respectively, from the upper chamber to the stack, and to one of the parts of the lowerchamber, and a passage I establishing communication between the two parts of the lower chamber, the arrangement being such that a portion of the heated products of combustion and heated air is passed over the liquid portion of the refuse to vaporize the same, andthe vaporproduced is brought into contact with another portion of the heated products of combustion, and thus destroyed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A furnace comprising a heat-producer, a combustion-chamber in communication there with, a chamber below and in communication with the combustion-chamber, a wall dividing the lower chamber, a stack, passages from the upper chamber, leading, respectively, to the stack and to one of the parts of the lower chamber, and a passage through the wall placing the two chamber parts in communication the arrangement being such that a portion of the heated products of combustion and heated air is passed over the liquid portion of the refuse to vaporize the same, and the vapor produced is brought into contact with the remaining portion of the heated products of combustion, and thus destroyed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

' 3. A furnace comprising a heat-producer, a

combustion -chamber, having a perforated bottom, a chamber below the latter having a perforated bottom, a passage from the pro ducer leading into both of said chambers whereby products of combustion pass directly from the producer to both chambers, a third chamber below the other two and an outlet from the latter to the third chamber, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. A f urnace-com prising a heat-prod ucer, a combustion -chamber adjacent to the heat producer and having openings in its bottom, a second chamber below the combustionchamber, having a perforated bottom, a third chamber below the two mentioned chambers, a passage leading from the two upper chambers to the bottom one, a stack, and a passage from the bottom chamber to the stack, sub

stantially as described.

5. A furnace comprising a heat-producer, a

combustion-chamber adjacent to the heatproducer, a second chamber arranged below the combustion-chamber, both communicating with the heat-producer, a bottom chamber, a wall dividing the two lower chambers, a stack, and two passages from the upper chambers, one leading to the bottom chamber and the other leading to the stack, substantially as described.

6. A furnace comprising a heat-producer, a combustion-chamber adjacent to the heat producer, a second chamber arranged below the combustion-chamber, both communicating with the heat-producer, a bottom chamber, a wall dividing the two lower chambers, and having an opening connecting the parts of the bottom chamber, a stack, a passage leading from the two upper chambers to the bottom chamber at one side thereof, the other side of the bottom chamber connecting with the passage from the upper chambers to the stack, substantially as described.

7. A furnace comprising a heat-producer, a combustion chamber adjacent to the l1eat producer, a second chamber arranged below the combustion-chamber, both communicating with the heat-producer, a bottom chamber, a stack, a passage extending downward from the two upper chambers to the stack, a passage from the two upper chambers to the bottom chamber, and a passage having means for opening and closing it, extending directly from a point adjacent to the intermediate chamber to. the stack, substantially as described.

8. A furnace comprising a heat-producer, a combustion-chamber adjacent to the heat= producer, a second chamber arranged below the combustion-chamber, both communicat ing with the heat-producer, a bottom chamber, a wall dividing the two lower chambers and having openings connecting the parts of the bottom chamber, a stack, a passage leading from the two upper chambers to the stack, a second passage leading from the two upper chambers to the bottom chambers at one side thereof, the other side of the bottom chamber connecting with the passage from the upper chambers, and slats or slabs designed to be placed in the passages leading from the upper chambers to regulate the size thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, SAMUEL H. BRO\VN.

Witnesses:

H. A. KELLY, S. G. I-IoPKINs. 

